First look: Historic Welsh castle gets modern restoration

Amelia Jones

New photos have been released of restoration works inside a Welsh castle museum.

Cyfarthfa Park and Castle in Merthyr Tydfil received a share of the Welsh Government’s Brilliant Basics funding to improve its visitor experience, via Visit Wales.

The funding has supported a series of restoration and improvement works across the historic building and its surrounding grounds.

This has enabled the visitor improvements including to lighting and toilets; enhancement of the reception area, shop and café; upgrades to the Wi-Fi and CCTV; a new audiovisual cinema display; as well as new signage and benches.

In addition, it was announced in July last year that The Cyfarthfa Heritage Area has also received £4.5million from Welsh Government and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council to undertake urgent conservation works, which includes the ongoing roofing repairs and the restoration of existing windows.

Within Cyfarthfa Museum and Art Gallery, improvements have been made to visitor facilities. These include internal upgrades to lighting and toilets, as well as enhancements to the reception area, shop and café. The project has also included improvements to the building’s technology, such as upgraded Wi-Fi, new CCTV systems and an audiovisual cinema display.

Outside the building, the project has supported a range of new and upgraded infrastructure. This includes high-quality benches and bins installed across the park to help make the site cleaner, more comfortable and more accessible for visitors.

Cyfarthfa Castle was designed in 1824 by architect Robert Lugar for ironmaster William Crawshay II. The building was constructed using locally quarried stone at a cost of around £30,000.
The castle features 15 towers and 72 rooms and was built as a grand residence for the Crawshay family during the height of Merthyr Tydfil’s iron industry.

The mistress of the house was Rose Mary Crawshay, who lived at the castle from 1846 until the death of her husband in 1889. Although she lived until 1907, she later made her home elsewhere.

Today the castle serves as a museum and art gallery, welcoming visitors from across Wales and beyond.

These improvements are said to enhance visitor flow, enjoyment, and contribute to a more sustainable and well‑maintained destination for the future.

A look inside:

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